After Hurricane Katrina, many homes were damaged from the storm, and non-profit organizations started rebuilding homes in the area. One non-profit organization, the Make It Right Foundation, build 100 new energy-efficient homes in one area where Hurricane Katrina severely damaged homes.
The organization built energy-efficient homes that included using a new wood product for the homes’ front porches and steps. The new wood was glass-infused and was guaranteed to last for 40 years by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, this wood is already rotting on several homes after just a few years.
The manufacturer says the new wood product protects against rotting, decaying and other wood problems and doesn’t use any toxic ingredients. This was one of the reasons the non-profit decided to use the new wood product offered by the company.
Using the new wood product in the subtropical climate that often has damp weather led to the wood on the front porches and steps to rot just years after the homes were built. This was not good news for the non-profit, especially since the manufacturer guaranteed that the product would last for 40 years.
The non-profit is looking into the manufacturer’s warranty for the product as well as what legal action they can take against the company for the defective wood product.
This case is an example of the ways new construction products can be defective and what individuals or companies can do after this happens. Construction defects can cause extensive damage to a property. That is why it is important to consider filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer if a construction defect has damaged your property.
Source: Tuscaloosa News, “Wood product said rotting in ‘green’-built Katrina homes,” Richard Thompson, Jan. 10, 2014